There is no bookstore, newsstand or library on the island of Luta (Rota) where we live in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Three thousand people can't access books. The local people, who are mostly poor, desiring books, spent all their tax dollars to build a library. Just after completion a super-typhoon hit our island heavily damaging the never-used library, which stands empty now. Unlike other populations, our native islanders rarely have credit cards and do not shop online. The few books that do make it here are loved almost to death.
Our Goal
Now we are building an inventory of used books, DVD's, and magazines to create an independent bookstore uniquely designed to serve our people - using a low cost subscription fee. GypsyFaith's Two Sisters Bookstore, named for two local matriarchs, Auntie Nita and Auntie Tita, will offer our island people unlimited use of books for a $3 per month subscription fee, and also allow cash purchases of low cost used printed materials.
We are passionately devoted to this project, which, upon reaching a minimum of ten thousand, we will make available through a system of local shareholders here in an empty building downtown.
Our Revolution
For three years now we have been less and less quietly, intentionally provoking a revolution - teaching local children and adults enormous amounts of collegiate vocabulary words, inciting in them an awareness of what illiteracy does to, and what it costs, people of color. Our little sixth graders brag about words like nabob and deliquesce. Our adult teachers tease family members by showing off their newly acquired vocabulary. The practically empty, libraryless college here has proud students who can spell and define extraordinarily difficult words. We have also been doing provocative public speaking which is frequently televised and then replayed endlessly in our little island nation - catalyzing both desire and indignation for the purpose of marketing highly literate living. We assault illiteracy every day. Our work has created the slow burning fire ready to ignite; now, now, now we need books so that we can do what is really only possible on a tiny, isolated place - we can change things here forever.
Get Involved - Build a Bookstore
If you wish to help us, send us your used books that are is good readable condition. Please ship them by USPS media mail as most other shipping companies to not service Luta.
Send us your used books, most especially children's picture books, popular adult fiction, guy-friendly nonfiction, self-help, and literary fiction. Please send us current titles if possible, and classics of all genres. The whole purpose of our matchbook company is to evangelize the profound pleasure and liberating power of reading. We exist, we live, to build this bookstore for our people. Watching our used book inventory grow is a tremendous joy for us and we would love to share the process with you. We will add a donors list to this page and our GypsyFaith Matchbook Company store page on eBay. Use the address below.
Please help us to build a Bookstore.
GypsyFaith Matchbook Company
P.O. Box 511644
Rota, MP 96951
pinck.steiner@gmail.com
